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Over the course of my training and practice as a chiropractor, and through my own personal search for peace, I have learned and been exposed to many mind/body and energy techniques. They seem to be converging now and morphing into something of my own. This most recent development was triggered by my new colleague, Dr. Jack O'Hea, who introduced me to Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.) which I find powerful. But from the start of learning B.E.S.T. I knew that I would be using it as a jumping off point.

Two simple exercises to reverse foot pain. Arch support is not the answer for weak arches. Foot strength is. Think about it: every muscle of your body needs to be strong and flexible. Wearing arch supporting shoes all the time is similar to wearing a back brace too much ... it weakens your feet. Practice these exercises 2 to 3 times a day for a few minutes for one year and you will cure bunions, plantar fasciitis, and hammer toes. Just play with your feet using these exercises and you will not only save your feet but you will create a strong foundation for your knees, hips, back, etc!! Get your feet a chiropractic adjustment regularly and your feet will thank you even faster! Schedule online now at www.ChiroKelley.com

Most severe back pain is due to muscle spasm. Do these exercises 3 to 4 times per day. If any of these movements are uncomfortable, back off to the point that they are easy. If you can't do any of these movements, come see us. We can diagnose the underlying cause of your back pain. Book online now.

Foot and/or leg pain - even without back pain - can be caused by pressure at the nerve roots of the lumbar spine.

See the "Dermatome Maps" of the foot and leg below. The L5 vertebra is associated with L5 nerve root that feeds that area of the leg and foot. Etc. S1 is the first sacral nerve root. You see that L5 and S1 nerve root pressure can effect the bottom of the foot and parts of the leg. Note there is variation from person to person as far as exactly where each nerve maps to.

To address foot pain the originates in the back, I adjust the pelvis and spine, traction the lumbar discs to pull fluid and nutrition in and also teach home exercises to stretch the disc and strengthen the core muscles.​To address foot pain that originates in the foot, I adjusted the feet, teach foot exercises to strengthen and stretch the foot and also recommend yoga sandals.

Extreme pain in your legs or back may be due to disc herniation or a pinched sciatic nerve (sciatica).

Caring for Sciatica / Disc Herniation

Ice low back to reduce inflammation. Ice 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, 10 minutes on again; every 2 hours for 24 hours. Then see your chiropractor. (After the inflammation is reduced your chiro can do more therapy.) Do NOT over do ice - It can make inflammation worse. Do NOT use heat, which will also make inflammation worse..

Take an over the counter NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) such as ibuprofen. Take as directed on label.

Avoid sitting. To reduce pressure on the disc, lay in the position shown in the video or on your back with a pillow under your knees. Standing is not as bad as sitting but not as good on your back or the position described int he video. Bottom line: Do get into a position that relieves your pain.

Avoid lifting more than 5 lbs. A herniated disc takes about 6 weeks to fully heal. However. It CAN get worse if you do to much too soon. So take CARE!

Traction low back by using the method described in video, coming to our office for disc decompression, or by using an inversion table. The advantage of the disc decompression we do, (Cox Flexion / Distraction), over an inversion table is that we can stretch one disc at a time to dramatically reduce the pressure at the site of the disc injury.

Release the pinched nerve. Sciatica can be caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve by a muscle or other soft tissue. We can release a pinched nerve using Active Release Technique. This relieves pain almost immediately.

Feet up the wall or over an ottoman. This is another way to gently traction the low back discs and also flood the disc area with fresh blood to help heal faster. The feet up the wall is also a hamstring stretch, but you do NOT need to straighten your legs for this to be effective. Simply bend your legs so you get a slight hamstring stretch instead. Feet over the ottoman is good but not as effective as feet up the wall. But do what you can do considering your pain and your ability to get up off the floor.

The video below shows a very gentle way to traction the discs of the low back. It takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve and helps the disc to heal by pulling fluid and nutrition into the disc. Do this exercise as often as you like. It may be one of the few positions that is comfortable for you.

Diverticulosis is the condition of having out-pouchings, or diverticula, along the walls of the colon. Whereas diverticulosis does not usually cause symptoms, diverticulitis occurs when diverticula become inflamed and infected. The infection starts when an out-pouching becomes blocked by a piece of hard stool. This blockage leads to bacterial overgrowth, followed by inflammation, infection, and abscess formation. At its most severe, diverticulitis can lead to abscess rupture, allowing stool to enter the abdominal cavity, resulting in sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection.(1)

Since the underlying cause of infection is blockage by hard stool, followed by bacterial overgrowth, the key to prevention is to maintain a schedule of regular, soft bowel movements. To accomplish that the best strategy is lots of water, probiotics, fiber rich foods, a good BM routine (i.e. after breakfast daily) and reduce stress.(2) We'll address each of these factors separately.

Water: A good rule of thumb is a daily intake of half your body weight in ounces of water. For example a 150lb person should drink 75 ounces of water daily. That's about 4 1/2 16.9 ounce bottles.

Probiotics: The gut is populated with millions of different types of bacteria that help us digest our food and also feed the lining of intestines. A good balance of beneficial probiotics will prevent infection by harmful bacteria. I recommend Align Probiotic Supplement, which is available at most major drug stores. Take them daily to reduce constipation and boost the immune system. Once you establish a good bowel movement routine, I would back off on supplementing with probiotics daily and only use them when you need extra support. Instead, I recommend "growing your own" probiotics by eating fiber (probiotics eat fiber) and eating fermented foods which are rich in probiotics.

Fiber: Rather than taking a fiber supplement, it is much better to get lots of fiber via nutritious fruits, vegetable and legumes. I recommend a diet that is mostly vegetables, fruit and legumes with fats like olive oild which is rich in Omega 3, 6, 9. Eat less meat. Eat little or no grains. Eat little or no dairy and little or no sugar. This diet provides all the fiber you need plus lots of vitamins, minerals, proteins and essential fatty acids. When choosing foods it is most important to listen to you body. If you eat something and then have bowel irritation or irregularity - take note of what food that might be associated with!

Eat foods that are high in fiber PLUS probiotic like fermented, organic, non-pasteurized foods: apple cider vinegar, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh. If you are sure you are not sensitive to dairy you can add kefir and yogurt. You can make your own fresh refrigerator pickles. See below.

Cover jars tightly with clean lids. Label and date, and store in the refrigerator at 40° F or colder for up to 2 months. This pickle is not heat processed and must be kept refrigerated. (4)

Stress:The body's natural reaction to stress is to move blood flow away from the intestines and toward the muscles. (If you are running from a lion digestion is not your priority.) This is why it's important to relax while eating and digesting. Remember there are many types of stress. We think of stress as mental or emotional, but other types of stress include physical stress such as poor sleep, poor posture or injury; chemical stress such as dehydration and exposure to food additives; and thermal stress such as being over heated or hypothermia. All your stresses add up and go on the same stress pile. So reduce the pile where you can, for example, get enough rest, enough exercise, enough water, avoid food additives and avoid food sensitivities.

Develop Good Bowel Habits:To prevent diverticulits keep the bowel soft and moving. Make healthy BMs a priority. So at least one BM a day. Create a routine such as after breakfast; sit, relax, breathe. Do not ignore the urge to go. You want to cultivate that reflex. If you have too push hard or can't go use an enema. Enemas are not the first choice but it's better than not going at least daily. See Notes below for enema instructions and other tips to develop good bowel habits.

Consumers might think that drugs sold without a prescription are completely safe. This is, unfortunately not true. All drugs carry side effects, some serious, some life-threatening. Let the buyer beware. Educate yourself on the drugs you and your family take. Also...watch this blog for a future article on natural pain relief.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relief Risks and Benefits

Analgesics reduce pain, but do not reduce inflammation. Examples of analgesics include:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an OTC analgesic. Taking high doses (>3,000mg = 6 Extra strength Tylenol per day) of acetaminophen for a long time can lead to liver damage or liver failure. This can be fatal (cause death).

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Midol, Nuprin) (OTC and prescription strengths). In addition to the side-effects listed above, Ibuprofen can also cause heart attack. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends taking the smallest dose that works for you and only taking it for up to 10 days.

Diclofenac (Zorvolex, Voltaren) (OTC and prescription strengths). Diclofenac-misoprostol (Arthrotec) combines diclofenac with a drug to protect against stomach ulcers but side effects still include: stomach pain, diarrhea and nausea.

Capsaicin (Capzasin, Zostrix, Icy Hot). Derived from cayenne peppers, this OTC drug comes as an ointment. Side effects can include severe burning, pain, swelling, or blistering of the skin.

Methyl salicylate and menthol (Bengay). This drug cream is made from mint plants and also contains a topical aspirin-like NSAID. Side effects can include redness, warmth, stinging, or burning of the skin.

Trolamine salicylate (Aspercreme). This topical cream contains an aspirin-like drug that relieves inflammation and pain. Side effects can include blistering, peeling, redness, irritation of the skin as well as nausea/vomiting or ringing in the ears.

Lidocaine cream is local anesthetic (numbing medication). It works by blocking nerve signals in your body. Side effects can include redness, stinging, and swelling of the skin.

Pain relief medications are not a cure, nor do they get to the root cause. Talk to Dr. Kelley about how chiropractic can remove pain at its source. Call 843 321-8119 or schedule online now.